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Impact Cleaners Grow Tired of Abuses

Push Property Managers to Practice Responsible Contracting
TORONTO, Jan. 21 /CNW/ - Members of Parliament Olivia Chow and Mario
Silva were just two of the faces that could be found in the crowd rallying
outside 480 University Ave. today.
The elected officials were there to support members of Justice for
Janitors, a cleaners movement united in SEIU Local 2. The group is demanding
that property managers that employ Impact Cleaning Services practice
responsible contracting.
"The law must mandate property managers to hold contractors operating in
their buildings accountable. Impact Cleaning must not be allowed to stomp on
workers' basic rights," said Chow.
"Cleaners work hard, and the compensation is not all that great. To find
out that not even minimum standards are being met is truly outrageous," echoed
Silva. "Something needs to change in this industry, we need better standards."
Eugenia Nagar, formerly employed by Impact, left the company last July
because she couldn't stand "the abuse." "When I finally left, they decided to
not pay me. In fact, it took the help the union and the Ministry of Labour to
finally receive compensation," says Nagar.
Cases like Nagar's are not at all unusual. More cases like hers where
workers are paid less than minimum wage, are not covered by WSIB or are not
paid at all, are available on the campaign website at www.Negative-Impact.org.
Community organizations and politicians have united to demand that
building owners adopt the Responsible Property Services Code, recently drafted
by a group comprised of building owners, asset managers, as well as worker and
community organizations. More information about the Code and responsible
contracting can be found at www.JusticeforJanitors.ca.
The Service Employees International Union is the largest and fastest
growing union in North America, with 100,000 workers in Canada and 2 million
workers across Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico.